Samara Joy Shares Her Thoughts on Winning 5 Grammys: “I Can’t Overthink It”

Samara Joy Targets Two More Grammy Wins at 68th Annual Ceremony

• Samara Joy is in the running for two additional Grammy awards this year.
• She has a perfect track record, winning all five Grammys for which she has been nominated previously.
• The 25-year-old jazz artist first gained prominence with her wins for Best New Artist and Best Jazz Vocal Album for her album Linger Awhile in 2023.

Samara Joy continues to make waves in the music industry. The Bronx native has quickly risen to fame, establishing herself with a remarkable start, capturing awards for Best New Artist and Best Jazz Vocal Album at the 65th Grammy Awards in 2023. Subsequently, she secured another Grammy for Best Jazz Performance in 2024, with further nominations following in 2025.

At just 25 years old, Joy is poised for her sixth and seventh nominations in the categories of Best Jazz Performance and Best Jazz Vocal Album this year. Remarkably, she has won every Grammy she has been nominated for thus far.

“If I thought about it too much, I might implode or something because it really blows my mind every single time,” Joy shared in a recent interview. “People ask me sometimes, ‘Does it get old?’ But how is that even possible? I’m grateful every single time.”

Samara Joy at the Grammys in Los Angeles in February 2023.

Amy Sussman/Getty

In October 2024, Joy released her third studio album, Portrait, which she describes as her “creative baby.” The project allowed her to refine her artistic vision following the success of Linger Awhile and her holiday album, A Joyful Holiday.

“Portrait was my way of saying, ‘I’m going to be an artist and I’m going to choose to follow my instincts and follow the stuff that I organically gravitate towards,'” she explained. Joy’s intention was to draw inspiration from the rich legacies of orchestral, big band, and large ensemble music, influenced by artists such as Abbey Lincoln and Duke Ellington.

Reflecting on her two years on the road post-Grammys, she emphasized the importance of bonding within a band, stating, “It takes time to develop that and create a band. I wanted to showcase that and highlight the music I focused on after all of this newfound attention.”

Samara Joy performs during Wednesday Jazzy Nights at the Aretha Franklin Amphitheatre in Detroit, Michigan in June 2025.

Monica Morgan/Getty

Joy attributes much of her artistic inspiration to her musical family, particularly her late grandparents, Elder Goldwire McLendon and Ruth McLendon. “I knew I loved to sing. I knew I loved music, and jazz just gave me… an outlet or a lane for which to express all that love,” she said.

As she prepares for this year’s Grammy ceremony, Joy is excited, even creating inspiration boards for her look. In an ideal scenario, she plans to take her mother as her date. Looking forward to her fellow artists’ performances, she remains calm, trusting her fate to the Recording Academy.

Samara Joy at the NAACP Image Awards in Los Angeles in February 2025.

Gilbert Flores/Variety via Getty

“If [the wins] happen this time, I’ll be grateful. If it doesn’t, I’ll be just as grateful to have the opportunity to be nominated,” Joy remarked. “I want what I do to be of substance. I want it to have meaning… so that you don’t just associate my name with an award, it’s associated with something authentic and real.”

Joy takes pride in her work on Portrait and appreciates its positive reception. The 2026 Grammy Awards will air live on CBS and Paramount+ on Sunday, February 1.